Washing-machine



(No Model.)

B. I. MATHEWS.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 351,062. Patented Oct. 19, 1886.

Fig.1.

g lamjcskeekg UNITED STATES PATENT @EEicE.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MATHEXVS, SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,062, dated October 19, 1886.

Application filed March 3, 1886.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MATHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in XVashing-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to improvements in washing-machines; and it consists in the construction, novel arrangement, and adaptation of devices, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is fully illustrated in the ac companying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine, showing the drum in an open position. Fig. 2 is an interior view of the drum removed from the boiler, and Fig. 3 is a view of one of the sheet-metal sections comprising the drum. Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view in detail, showing the manner of forming the drum of narrow strips united at the flanges of the buckets.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indieatesa boiler which is of rectangular form, and may be of any ordinary or approved construetion,with a faucet in one of its end walls,

as shown, to draw off the suds or dirty water.

This boileris provided in its side walls, at diametricallyopposite points, with journal-bearings a, to receive the journals of the drum, which journals extend from the end or side walls thereof, one of the said journals being adapted to receive a crank-handle, drive-wheel, or other suitable device for turning the drum.

B indicates the drum,whieh is of a peculiar construction, and is formed entirely of sheet metal galvanized. This drum is composed of the end walls, 0 G, which are semicircular, with a plain portion, 7), meeting the hinged cover. These end walls are connected by the circular sides D, forming the body portion, and may be composed of one or more sheets of metal. These sides D have formed therein at suitable intervals overshot buckets, which extend transversely their entire length, and are Serial No.193,834. (No model.)

perforated for the passage of water from and to the boiler. These buckets are formed by bending the sheets so as to form the parallel external flanges, E E, and pressing the same between these flanges in a curved form, as shown at F, and perforating the same at numerous points. \Vhen' there is more than one sheet used in the drum or cover thereof, the edges may be made to overlap each other, as clearly shown at c, Fig. 4, by means of which there will be no abrading edges exposed on the interior of the drum to injure the fabrics being washed, and narrow metal strips can be economically utili'zcdin constructing the drum, its buckets, and their flanges, and soldered or otherwise connected. The cover is of a construction the same as the body of the drum, having the buckets of substantially the same form, and its end walls are hinged to the said body portion at one end thereof and fastened at the opposite end by a spring or catch,or the like. The flanges E, which serve as watergatherers fortheir respective perforated buckets, are extended beyond the periphery of the drum, and converge in curves toward each other, so that in whatever direction the drum be rotated aboutits axis a flange of each bucket will pickup or gather the watcrin the boiler, and forcibly direct the same in broken currents through the perforated buckets upon the fabrics inside of the drum.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 4 of the annexed drawings it will be observed that the flanges, lips,or water-gatherers areformedintegralwith the strips D, which constitute the circumference of the drum, by a.process of bending the metal and compressing the bent portions. Fig. 4 also shows the manner of uniting narrow strips of metal to form a drum, which consists in compressing one edge of a bucket between portions of an adjacent strip, so bent, as at c, as to form a flange, E, and a close joint. It is by means of these flanges that the buckets are rendered more effective in raising the suds from the boiler and directing the same into the drum upon the fabrics.

In operation it will be seen that when water is placed in the boiler, clothes in the drum, and the latter rotated by a crank or the like, the flanges E and their buckets will catch the water in the boiler and raise it to nearly the highest point of revolution, when it will be discharged through the perforations of the said buckets into the drum, and thereby shower .and thoroughly cleanse the clothes.

Having described this invention, ,what I 5 claim is 1. The combination, with a boiler having journal-bearings, as described, of a drum supported in said bearings and provided with peripheral overshot buckets having curved con- 10 verging flanges, substantially as specified.

2. The within-described rotative washing drum, consisting of sheets of metal having its circular side or peripheryD bent to form buckets F, and curved flanges E, substantially as r 5 described.

3. The combination of the end walls having the external journals,

the circular side or periphery having the buckets formed therein,

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MATHEWS.

lVitnesses:

F. L. HOLOOMB, L. H. TAYLOR. 

